In 2002, Arya M. Sharma was recruited from the Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany, to a Canada Research Chair (Tier1) in Cardiovascular Obesity and Management at McMaster University. In 2007 he accepted a position as Professor and Chair in Obesity Research and Management at the University of Alberta, where he is also the Medical Director of the Provincial Bariatric Program. In 2006, he spearheaded the launch of the Canadian Obesity Network, which, with almost 10,000 members, has remarkably transformed the landscape of obesity research and management in Canada. He is currently also President of the Canadian Association of Bariatric Physicians and Surgeons. His research focuses on an evidence-based approach to managing obese patients and includes the development of the Edmonton Obesity Staging System. Dr. Sharma has authored or coauthored more than 300 publications and has lectured widely on the aetiology and management of hypertension, obesity, and related cardiometabolic disorders. Dr. Sharma is regularly featured as a medical expert in national and international TV and print media including the CBC, CTV, New York Times, and MSNBC. Dr. Sharma maintains a widely-read blog where he regularly posts his ideas and thoughts on obesity prevention and management: http://www.drsharma.ca.

Entries by Arya M. Sharma, MD

That we have a widespread anti-fat bias and discrimination out there is no secret. But when this comes from the very people who should be there to provide help and support to those struggling with excess weight, I guess we really have a problem.

This week the wires were active with suggestions that people with obesity pay more for airline travel. This discussion was prompted by a Samoan airline announcing that they would begin charging passengers by the pound. It was also stimulated by Bharat Bhatta, an economist from Norway suggesting that...

Now that we've kicked off a new year, not a day passes without some news outlet asking me for tips on healthy living. What do I need to eat more (or less) of? What type of exercise is best and how many minutes a day do I need?

Few issues have received as much media coverage as the recent public announcement by Toronto mayor Rob Ford (and his brother Toronto councilman Doug Ford) to lose 50 pounds in the next six months. This has prompted a wide range of responses, including from media celebrities like Dr....

To many readers, the very idea that you can carry excess weight and still be healthy may sound like an oxymoron. After all, is excess body fat not strongly associated with a wide range of health problems from diabetes to sleep apnea and from arthritis to cancer?